The present invention pertains to a combination tool primarily adapted for operating upon shell-like food, such as various types of seafood, including crabs, oysters and lobsters, and also for cracking nuts of different kinds, as well as possibly cracking bones for purposes of exposing marrow, and otherwise. Combination tools of various kinds are very old. Many of them are of a mechanical nature for use by mechanics on machinery and the like, and include all sorts of combinations of pliers, screw drivers, wrenches, cutting blades and various other things. Many of them are provided with handles and some have various pairs of handles pivotally connected. For example, in the field of mechanic's tools, prior U.S. Pat. No. 990,543 to Gilchrist, dated Apr. 25, 1911, is typical. In the food line for operating upon shellfish, relatively recent U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,395 to Latorella, dated Aug. 1, 1978, is exemplary. Also in the food line, but of a somewhat different nature than Latorella's tool, is U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,908 to Allievi, dated Nov. 12, 1974, the same being a tool for clam, oyster and nut cracking and opening.
Also, various kinds of unitary tool, especially for use with oysters, have been developed, typical very old examples of which comprise the subject matter of prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 75,917 to Huffnagle, dated Mar. 24, 1868, and 411,381 to Huppmann, dated Sept. 17, 1889. These are representative of tools including hammer heads and oyster-opening knife blades. Still another example of the combination ice pick and oyster knife is found in relatively old U.S. Pat. No. 98,102 to Pattberger, dated Dec. 21, 1869, in which a handle has an oyster knife blade projecting from one end and mounted loosely for storage in an opening in the handle is a pair of elongated ice pick blade and wire member respectively adapted to be removed from the storage opening and mounted so as to project from the handle, particularly in regard to the ice pick blade.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that a relatively wide range of combination tools, having hammer-like heads thereon, and especially for use in connection with shell-type foods, such as various kinds of seafood and nuts, have heretofore been developed, some of which even have hammer means thereon. However, the present invention presents an improvement in a combination tool particularly adapted to work upon shell-like foods, and having features not found in the prior art, particularly in the same relationship, details of which are set forth below.